This invention relates in general to the field of security systems for doors, and more particularly, to a system and method for securing a hinged door in a manner that helps prevent removal of the door in the event that the door hinge pin is cut or damaged. The system and method is particularly useful to prevent vandalism and theft in vending machines and the like.
Vending machines are widely used to dispense beverages, food, and other perishable and non-perishable goods. These vending machines provide valuable services in that they enable goods to be sold, and persons to obtain such goods, without attending personnel. As a consequence, vending machines are most useful, and are typically found in areas where there is little supervision, particularly by those who own the machines. They often are found outside, or in other public places that may be deserted during much of the day and/or night. Thus, vending machines are frequently the target of vandals and thieves attempting to gain access to either the goods stored within the vending machine or the coin and/or bill storage device or the like that retains money from goods already sold.
Thieves or vandals commonly gain access to the contents of vending machines by cutting or otherwise damaging the hinge pin that couples the vending machine door to the vending machine. Once the hinge pin is cut or sufficiently damaged, the door can be removed from the front of the vending machine, and the contents of the machine accessed.
There is a need in the art for a vending machine having a security feature that prevents a thief or vandal that has cut the door hinge pin from subsequently removing the door.
Accordingly, a vending machine is provided having a vending machine housing, a vending machine door, a pivoting device pivotably coupling the vending machine door to the vending machine housing, and a door retaining device fixedly secured at a first end to the vending machine door, and in cooperation with the vending machine housing at a second end so as to permit rotation of the vending machine door relative to the vending machine housing about the pivoting device between a closed and an open position, but so as to be capable of engaging the vending machine housing to substantially prevent removal of the vending machine door from the vending machine housing if the pivoting device is damaged when the vending machine door is in the closed position. According to one embodiment, the vending machine housing has an aperture therein, and the second end of the door retaining device has a hook portion that extends within the vending machine housing through the aperture.
According to yet another embodiment, when in the closed position, the hook portion of the door retaining device is positioned within an interior of the vending machine housing.
According to yet another embodiment, the pivoting device is at least one hinge pin, and the vending machine housing includes a hinge box surrounding at least a portion of the at least one hinge pin, and having the vending machine housing aperture therein. In yet another embodiment, the vending machine door pivots relative to the vending machine housing, and the hook portion of the door retaining device pivots relative to the hinge box unobstructed by the vending machine housing. In yet another embodiment, the first end of the door retaining device further includes a projecting portion that extends to within the vending machine door through a vending machine door aperture.
According to yet another embodiment, the first end of the door retaining device is fixedly secured to the vending machine door by a screw, and in yet another embodiment, a head of the screw is positioned within the vending machine door.
In yet another embodiment, the door retaining device further includes an intermediate portion between the hook portion and the projecting portion, the intermediate portion includes a first portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the projecting portion and positioned substantially adjacent to the vending machine door, a second portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the first portion and in a direction opposite that of the projecting portion, and a third portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the second portion and in a direction substantially opposite that of the first portion. In yet another embodiment, the first portion of the intermediate portion of the door retaining device has an aperture therein, and the screw extends through the aperture in the first portion. In yet another embodiment, the third portion of the intermediate portion has a length such that when the vending machine door is pivoted about the at least one hinge pin between the closed and open positions, the second portion of the door retaining device does not contact the hinge box.
A storage unit is also provided including a housing, a door pivotably coupled to the housing by at least one hinge pin, and pivotable about the at least one hinge pin between an open position and a closed position, and a door retaining device fixedly secured at a first end to the door, and in cooperation with the housing at second end so as to permit rotation of the door relative to the housing between the open position and the closed position, but so as to be capable of engaging the housing to substantially prevent removal of the door from the housing if the at least one hinge pin is damaged when the door is in the closed position.
According to one embodiment, the door retaining device has a first end and a second end having a hook portion of the second end, and the housing has an aperture therein, and the hook portion extends through the aperture. In yet another embodiment, a first edge of the hook portion is positioned within an interior of the housing when the door is in the closed position.
In yet another embodiment, the door retaining device further includes a projecting portion at the first end and the door further includes an aperture therein, and the projecting portion extends through the aperture in the door. In yet another embodiment, when the door pivots relative to the housing between the open and closed positions, the hook position of the door retaining device pivots relative to the housing unobstructed by the housing.
In yet another embodiment, the first end of the door retaining device is fixedly secured to the door by a screw, and in yet another embodiment, a head of the screw is positioned within the door.
According to yet another embodiment, the door retaining device further includes an intermediate portion between the hook portion and the projecting portion, and the intermediate portion includes a first portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the projecting portion and positioned substantially adjacent to the door, a second portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the first portion and in a direction opposite that of the projecting portion, and a third portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the second portion and in a direction substantially opposite that of the first portion.
A door retaining device is also provided for preventing unauthorized removal of a vending machine door from a vending machine housing, wherein the vending machine door is pivotably coupled to the vending machine housing by a pivoting device, and pivotable relative to the vending machine housing between an open position and a closed position. The door retaining device includes a first end capable of being fixedly secured to the vending machine door, a second end having a hook portion for extending through an aperture in the vending machine housing. The hook portion is capable of engaging the vending machine housing to substantially prevent removal of the vending machine door from the vending machine housing if the pivoting device is damaged when the vending machine door is in the closed position
In yet another embodiment, the first end of the door retaining device further includes a projecting portion for projecting into an aperture in the vending machine door. In yet another embodiment, the first end of the door retaining device further includes an aperture for receiving a screw for fixedly securing the door retaining device to the vending machine door.
In yet another embodiment, the vending machine housing includes a hinge box portion surrounding at least a portion of the pivoting device, and has the vending machine housing aperture therein.
According to yet another embodiment, the door retaining device further includes an intermediate portion between the hook portion and the projecting portion. The intermediate portion has a first portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the projecting portion, a second portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the first portion and in a direction opposite that of the projecting portion, and a third portion extending substantially perpendicularly from a first end of the second portion and in a direction opposite that of the first portion.